“You yourself, as much as anyone in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~ Buddha

So many times, we turn to alcohol and drugs (prescription and illegal) in order to make us feel better or to numb ourselves. Meditation is another great daily ritual that you may like to consider performing either before or after your daily Gratitude practice.

Through meditation we can feel more connected to ourselves, others and the Universe. Always remember that we're "spiritual beings having an earthly experience" and as we are the only person we spend 24/7 and our entire life with, it's important to connect to ourselves as well as looking after our needs first.​Here are some health benefits of meditation:

Better Focus: When we meditate, we focus and this assists us to focus on things when we’re not meditating.

Less Anxiety: Meditation helps us look at things more rationally, therefore creating less anxiety.

More Creativity: During meditation, we quiet our mind, which allows the creative juices to flow.

More Compassion: Empathy and compassion are higher in people who meditate.

Better Memory: Rapid memory recall is linked to meditation.

Less Stress: Meditating lessens stress and can build up our brains and guard against information overload.

More Grey Matter: People who mediate have more grey matter in their brains, which can lead to more positive emotions, longer-lasting emotional stability and heightened focus during daily life.

It’s good to understand that meditation you can meditate anywhere and that it isn’t about stopping our thoughts or trying to empty our mind – both approaches only create stress and noisier internal chatter. We can’t stop or control our thoughts, but we can decide how much attention to give them.

Although we can’t impose quiet on our mind, through meditation we can find the quiet that already exists in the space between our thoughts. Sometimes referred to as “the gap,” this space between thoughts is pure consciousness, pure silence, and pure peace.

When we meditate, we use an object of attention, such as our breath, an image, or a mantra, which allows our mind to relax into this silent stream of awareness. When thoughts arise, as they inevitably will, we don’t need to judge them or try to push them away. Instead, we gently return our attention to our object of attention. In every meditation, there are moments, even if only microseconds, when the mind dips into the gap and experiences the refreshment of pure awareness.

As you meditate on a regular basis, you will spend increasingly more time in this state of expanded awareness and silence.

Be assured that even if it feels like you have been thinking throughout your entire meditation, you are still receiving the benefits of your practice. You haven’t failed or wasted your time.Starting to feel that meditating will be beneficial for you, though not sure where to start?

You may like to also research some of the many, many ways to meditate. Go online and find the one that suits you best.

Also, you may like to visit my website http://www.karenchaston.com.au/meditation.html as there are numerous guided meditations available, including 9 minute chakra focused meditations, that will align and strengthen your body energetically.